palmer



Aug. 19 1924. 1,505,486

, J. PALMER PIANO KEY MECHANISM FOR ACCORDIONS Filed Sept. 22, 1922 2 Sheets-Shut 1 ill] Q Ii llilllllll fig Auga g J. PALMER PIANO may MECHANISM FOR ACCORDIONS Filed Sept. 22, 1922 2 Sheets-Shoot 2 INIENTOB @2116; Palmer .7125 ATTORIVH WITmI-SISE'S I and State of Pennsylvania,

Patented Aug. 19, 1924.

- UNITED JAMES PALMER, EEELADEEHTLA, "PENNSYLVANIA.

Application died September 522,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, James PALMER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Piano-Key Mechanism for Accordions, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to accordions and particularly piano -mechanisms therefor.

The object of the invention is to proyide an improved construction of iano key mechanism including a piano key oard of simple and novel construction whereby the parts can be cast or molded in distinction to the ordinar manner of making the parts out of wood, t us obviating the necessity of careful joining of the ends, sides and intervening parts with instruments as now made; to improve and simplify the key and valve construction and mounting, and to facilitate the assemblage and disassemblage of the ke s and other parts. I i

This object, and other advantageous ends which will be desc' 'bed hereinafter, I attain in the following manner, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a fragmentary face view of the improved piano part and mechanism, for an accordion,

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a key and valve, and

Figure 4 is a detail bottom view of a valve.

In the drawings, 1 is a bellows of an accordion and 2 a cast casing which carries the playing mechanism and to which one open end of the bellows is connected as indicated at 3, Casing 2 is provided with a partition 4, having rows of holes 5, a rim or flange 6 extending beyond the partition, a backboard 7 extending from the back wall of the casing and provided with a beveled edge, and extended end walls 8. A keyboard 9 is attached to the casing and consists of a plate having side flanges 10 and end flanges provided with parts 11 and 12. Parts 11 of the end flanges are secured between the end Walls 8 of casing 2. The keyboard 9 is rig- Elf-922., Serial he. EiSWidQa idly held to casin 2 by its plate engaging the beveled edge of backboard 7, by the connection of parts 11 of the end flanges to end walls 8, and by an extension 13 depending from the inner flange 10 and engaging partition d,

Reed holders 1% are attached to partition 4: over holes 5 and carry reed plates and reeds 15. The reed holders may be of single or double formation and suitable means, such as apertured stri s 16, forming resistors, may be employe for controlling the passage of air and to change the pitch and tone of the instrument. Suitable operating means 17 is carried by the keyboard 9 beneath the bottom plate thereof and connected in the usual or any referred way, to apertured strips 16 to shi t them. I

Keyboard 9 is rovided with a series of division walls 19 w ich are cast integral with the other parts of the keyboard and extend partway across its plate from its inner flange 10. 'The division walls are provided with aligned openin at the inner edge of the keyboard near tEnge 10. A pivot rod 20 passes through the o enings, the parts 11 of the end flanges an end walls 8, and secures the keyboard to the casing. Natural keys 31 and flat keys 22 have lugs 23 at their inner ends which are pivotally mounted on red 20 between division walls 19. The walls between which keys 422 are mounted are integrally connected at their ends by a stop wall 13 which serves as a sto for the flat keys 22 when they are presse inward Each key has an arm 24 extending in angular relation thereto and a valve 25 is attached to each arm. These valves are in the form of hollowed-out plates and co-operate with two rows of holes 5 to control the passa e of air past thereeds. Keys 21 are provied with extensions 26 and keys 22 are provided with extensions 27 to engage 10 at the free edge of the keyboard and Walls 18 of division walls 119 to limit the movement of the keys. A guide 28 is provided at the bottom of the keys to guide the pressed key in its movement downward. Springs 29 are mounted on pins 30 beneath the keys to normally elevate the keys and the ledge of flange hold valves 25 closed. A cover section 31 may be provided over the valves 25, partition 4 and inner ends of the keys and can be made of fret work to provide openings for the emission of sound. All of the parts described are of cast metal, such as section 2, reed holders 14, keyboard 9, keys 21 and 22 and valves 25, and may be molded or die cast, preferably from aluminum or other desirable light metal, thus greatly facilitating the manufacture and providing a. very durable product of light weight, which can be easily handled.

While I have described my invention as taking a particular form, it will be understood that the various parts of my invention may be changed without departing "from the spirit thereof, and hence I do not limit myself to the precise construction set forth, but consider that I am at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 4 1. In an accordion having a casing housing the treble playing means and the valves for controlling the same; a one-piece keyboard composed of a plate having side and end flanges and division walls extending from one of the side flanges partway across the plate, the end flanges being secured to the casing; keys pivoted to the division walls, and connections between the keys and the valves.

2. In an accordion having a casing housing the treble playing means and the valves for controlling the same; a one-piece keyboard composed of a plate having side and end flanges and division walls extending from one of the side flanges partway across the plate, the end flanges being disposed between the end walls of the casing; a rod passing through the end Walls of the casing, the end flanges and the division walls for securing the keyboard to the casing; keys pivoted on the rod between the division walls, and connections between the keys and the valves.

3. In an accordion having a casing housing the treble playing means and the valves for controlling the same; a one-piece keyboard composed of a plate having side and end flanges, the end flanges being secured to the casing, and division walls extending partway across the plate; flat keys pivoted between certain pairs of division walls; stop walls integral with said pairs of division walls and adapted to be engaged by the keys when pressed inward; natural keys pivoted between the other division walls, and connections between the keys and the valves.

4. In an accordion having a casing housside flange,

ing the treble playing means and the valves for controlling the same; a one-piece keyboard composed of a plate having an outer side flange provided with a ledge, an inner end flanges adapted to be secured to the end walls of the casing, and division walls extending from the inner side flange partway across the plate; natural keys pivoted between certain of the division walls and adapted to engage the ledge when pressed inward; flat keys pivoted between the other division walls, and connections between the keys and the valves.

5. In an accordion having a casing housing the treble playing means and the valves for controlling the same; a one-piece keyboard composed of a plate having side and end flanges, the end flanges being secured to the end walls of the casing, and division walls extending from the inner side flange partway across the plate; natural keys pivoted between certain of the division walls and provided with depending guides near the free ends or the keys, whereby a pressed key will be guided in its movement by the guides of adjacent keys; flat keys pivoted between the other division walls, and connections between the keys and the valves.

6. In an accordion having a casing housing the treble playing means and the valves for controlling the same; a one-piece keyboard composed of a plate having side and end flanges, the end flanges being secured to the casing, and division walls extending from one of the side flanges partway across the plate; keys pivoted to the division walls and provided with depending pins; coiled springs on the pins and engaging the plate between the division walls, and connections between the keys and the valves.

7. In an accordion having a casing housing the treble playing means and the valves for controlling the same; a one-piece keyboard composed of a plate having side and end flanges, the end flanges being secured to the casing, and division walls extending from one of the side flanges partway across the plate; lugs pivoted between the division walls; keys integral with the lugs and extending in one direction, and arms extending in the other direction and connecting the lugs and valves.

8. In an accordion having a casing housing the treble playing means and the valves for controlling the same; a one-piece keyboard composed of a plate having an outer side flange provided with a ledge, an inner side flange, end flanges adapted to be secured to the end walls of its casing, and division walls extending from the inner flange partway across the plate; a rod passin through the end walls, the end flanges an the, division walls for securing the ke board to the casing; flat keys pivoted on t e 1,,eee,4ee v 3 rod between certain pairs of division wells; stop walls inte a1 with said. pair of di= vision walls an ada ted to he engaged by the keys when presse inward; natural keys pivoted on the rod between the other 1- vision walls and adapted to engage the ledge when 'ressed inward, anfl means connecting the eye to the velveo In testimony whereof I have signedl my name to this specification in the presence of 10 two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES PALMER. Witnesses:

ELIZABETH Gums, CHAS. E. Poms. 

